Best of Friends
by nerdypurdy
Summary: (Pre-OOtP) (Completed) Three weeks left till their 5th term, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are still the best of friends. However, with two of them, a glimmer of something more is present. HHr
1. The Beginning

"HARRY!!! HARRY!!!" shouted a shrill voice with urgency.  The young man's eyes fluttered open, and with disgust he said, "Ugh, what does she want now?"  He climbed out of his warm, comfortable bed, put on his gray sweat clothes (Ten sizes too big for him, of course) "Three weeks, just three weeks and I'm back at Hogwarts." He thought to himself before heading downstairs.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, feigning happiness, he said, "Yes…Aunt Petunia?" 

"Get this infernal animal out of here!!!" she cried, pointing to the kitchen table.  Harry's eyes followed her finger's path, until he saw poor Hedwig covered in soot and ash.  "Whoops…I'm sorry I forgot to open the window again, Hedwig."  The poor owl had been forced to go down the chimney when Harry didn't respond to her taps on the window.  Aunt Petunia, being the way she was, impatiently reminded Harry why he was downstairs, "NOW!!!"  "Oh, right, Aunt Petunia," he said, gathering Hedwig carefully in his arms, and going back upstairs into his bedroom.  After he shut the door behind him, he took the letter Hedwig so faithfully delivered him, and put Hedwig in her cage, and opened the letter.  He began to read the tidy words of Hermione's.

_Dear Harry,_

_            I just started thinking about writing you a letter, but I didn't know how to get it to you, when Hedwig popped by.  How does she do that?  She always seems to know exactly when I'm about to write a letter to you._

Harry paused a second, and let his eyes travel to his faithful snow-white owl in appreciation.  Then, he returned to the letter.

Anyhow, I just thought I'd mention that.  But down to business, I know how you hate staying with the Dursley's, so when I got home from our vacation (We went to AMERICA, I'll tell you about it later!), I asked my parent's if you could stay in the guesthouse…and they said YES!  So, assuming you want to, of course, you are now welcome to come stay at our guesthouse until school starts up again.  Write back soon!!

_Love, Hermione_

Harry was so shocked that he had to go back and read the letter again…and again…and again.  Finally, he sat down at his desk, and wrote a reply.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Do you even have to ask?  Of course I want to go!!  When can you pick me up??_

_With lots of love, Harry_

He folded the letter and was about to give it to Hedwig, but then he saw that Hedwig did not look happy… "Ok, fine, I'll give you a bath first, and then you can deliver the letter."

Meanwhile, at Hermione's house… 

Hermione was fitfully trying to get to sleep, but thoughts kept bombarding her mind.

"What if Harry says no?  Does that mean he'd rather spend time with the Dursley's than with me?  Oh, knock it off Hermione," she scolded herself, "Harry hates the Dursley's.  Of course he would want to come."  Having satisfied her worries, or so she thought, she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep, but she heard a light tapping sound coming from her window.


	2. The Day Arrives

Disclaimer: You know the the drill, anything you recognize belongs to the great JKR, and everything else to me, I guess.  
  
A/N: Just a quick thanks to friendly-mione and uglinessrox55. They were my first two reviewers!! Now, on with the story!  
  
At Hermione's.  
  
When Hermione heard the light tapping noise, she all but flew out of bed to the window, throwing it open. Hedwig, slightly shocked, entered her bedroom and sat still, allowing Hermione access to the letter. She ripped the envelope apart, and read the reply quickly, before breaking into a smile and dancing around her room. After a few minutes of this, she finally settled down enough to write back to Harry. After writing the letter, she put it in an envelope, attached it to Hedwig's feet, and set her off on her way. She watched the snowy owl fly farther and farther into the distance unable to wipe the grin off her face.  
  
The next morning at Harry's house.  
  
Harry awoke to a ticklish sensation on his face. He opened his eyes to find Hedwig perched patiently on his chest, wanting him to free her of her burden. "Well, good morning to you too, Hedwig," he said as he reached for the letter. He opened it and read-  
  
Dear Harry, We can get you at 4 o'clock today. Oh, and I forgot to tell you in my last letter, Ron's coming too! I figured we could just hang out at my house for a week and a half or so and then go to Diagon Alley until school starts. Well, you better get packed!!  
  
With love, Hermione  
  
"Yes! Ron's coming too!" he exclaimed, but then he thought silently, "Although, it might have been fun to have Hermione all to myself for a while." He laid there in his bed, thinking about that time last year when Ron had been mad at him. Hermione had still stuck by him, and he had never forgotten that. Come to think of it, he wasn't sure if he had ever actually thanked her for that. Truth was that was the time when he started to see Hermione in a different light. A smile slowly crept up over his face before he realized what time it was. "Oh man, she's going to be here in 2 hours!! How'd I sleep that late??"  
  
A few hours later.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath, and thought, "We're here. Come on! Get a grip on yourself Hermione! It's Harry for crying out loud!" but her brain reminded her, "Exactly.it's Harry." It took another second or so for her to realize she hadn't yet exhaled. Breathing out, she forced herself to get out the car, walk up to the door, and ring the doorbell. She heard some faint mumbling, and a few seconds later the door was opened by Harry's uncle. Surprised at how composed her voice sounded, she managed to say, "Hello, Mr. Dursley, I'm here for Harry." Vernon simply glared at her before finally turning around and yelling for Harry to come down, and come down he did. A few seconds and a lot of thumps later, Harry was crumpled on the floor next to his trunk which, thankfully, hadn't broken and the owl cage which contained a very unhappy, but unhurt owl. As his face turned beet red, he managed to get himself up, gather his things and head toward the door. He looked up at Hermione and his breath was taken away. 


	3. The Arrival

Disclaimer: I'm assuming that if you're reading this story…you've read other Harry Potter stories…and by now are aware of the fact I do not own ANY of the original Harry Potter characters.  So, basically, anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowlings, and everything else is MINE!!!

A/N: I'm so sorry that it's taken me this long to post.  This week has been killer.  Midterms, traveling, yada, yada, yada, you get the point.  Anyway, enjoy the story and please review…please?  More reviews = more motivation = faster posting!!  Flames are accepted but I'd much rather know what exactly I'm doing wrong as opposed to a "This story sucks!" kind of thing.  Please keep in mind that I do, in fact, have feelings.  Thank You!!!  Oh, and italics in quotes indicate thoughts.

**Chapter 3**

            Hermione had long since given up trying to make her hair straight, instead opting to tame her bushy hair with curls that framed her face perfectly.  Conveniently neglecting to mention this "little" fact to Harry had achieved the reaction she was secretly hoping to get.  Trying to keep from laughing out loud, she said, "You alright there, Harry?"  Harry was brought back to earth with the sound of Hermione's voice, "Er…yeah, of course. Come on, let's get out of here."  He rushed out the door past Hermione, thinking to himself, "_Idiot! 'Er…yeah." Oy! That must have sounded so stupid!  She was even trying to keep from laughing!  Argh, could I BE any more stupid? (A/N: hehe, Chandler, anyone?)  And when did Hermione get so damn pretty?!_"

            A few minutes later, Harry and Hermione were seated comfortably in the backseat of the KIA Sorento and on the way to Hermione's house.  The tension in the car probably couldn't even be cut with a knife, but nevertheless Harry took a stab as small talk, (A/N: Knife…stab…get it?) "So…Hermione, are we going to pick up Ron now?"   "Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you! We're not going to pick him up, he owled and said the he had some things to do before leaving home and that he would comer by Floo Powder tomorrow."  Hermione felt a pang of guilt as she said that, "_Come on, Hermione, you told the truth, just "forgot" to mention that you told Ron not to come until tomorrow because you had to get your fireplace hooked up so that he could travel by way of Floo Powder.  But, then again, you knew for a fact that it's already hooked up!  *Sigh* Calm down Hermione, you just wanted to spend some time with Harry alone, that's all._"  Hermione's thoughts slowly stopped as she simply contented herself with watching Harry struggle to stay awake, but failing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Mrs. Granger looked into the backseat of the car to see Harry and Hermione asleep.  Hermione had rested her head upon Harry's shoulder and Harry rested his head upon her head.  Smiling to herself, she almost hated to wake them up, they looked so perfect together!  But nevertheless, she had to.

"Hermione, dear, wake up." She cooed.

Hermione opened her eyes with a dreamy look on her face.  After taking a few seconds to regain her senses, she suddenly realized whose shoulder she was sleeping on.  Startled, she abruptly moved her head, unfortunately upward, managing to hit Harry's head quite hard.  Harry awoke with a start, grabbing the side of his head in pain. 

"Ahh…"

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!" Hermione apologized profusely.

Harry groaned again and then joked, "If this is how I can expect to wake up around your place, I think I'll go back to the Dursley's.  Thank you very much."  And then, with the famous Potter charm, he flashed his grin.

"Haha, okay, I'm taking that as a sign that your fine.  Come on, we're here, let's go!" Hermione said eagerly.

A few minutes, and several bags of luggage later, everyone was gathered in the main entryway of Hermione's house.  Her family wasn't rich, but they had money to spend.  Their house, however, was a different story.  It was, for lack of a better word, HUGE!  You see, Hermione's grandfather was a very rich and powerful guy, although no one is really sure what exactly it was that he did for a living.  All they knew was that it paid well, very well.  Well, anyway, to make a long story short, after his death, Hermione's father inherited the house and guest houses (The money was divided between his 3 other brothers!)

"Well, Hermione, why don't you show Harry where you two and Ron will be staying?"  advised Mr. Granger.

"Oh, good idea dad!  Come one, Harry.  Don't worry about your stuff, our butler will take care of it for you," said Hermione, taking Harry's hand.

"You have a butler?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Oh yeah, his name's Bill.  Been with the family for as long as I can remember.  In fact, we much consider him a member these days."

"Wow…"

A few minutes later, Hermione was showing Harry every nook and cranny of the guest house which included a kitchen, a living room, and three separate bedrooms each with their own bathroom. After Harry was given the grand tour by Hermione they ended up in the living room.  

"Wow, Herm, this place is…great.  I still can't believe I get my own bedroom that isn't used for Dud's old stuff."

"Yeah…" Hermione smiled.  And then suddenly hugged Harry for all she was worth, "Oh, Harry!! I've missed you so much!"

A/N: Well, that's it for now. Till the next chapter!  And remember, more reviews = more motivation = faster posting!!!


	4. The Lesson

Disclaimer:  I am NOT J.K. Rowling, therefore I do NOT own any of the original Harry Potter characters.  Anything you recognize is hers and everything else is mine.

A/N: I'm so happy!!! I finally found out who the new cast members are for the "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" movie are.  Maybe if I get enough reviews I'll put up the info about each new actor/actress in my bio and save you the research, hehe, just kidding.  You can find out about them by going to www.harrypotter.com.  If I DO happen to achieve say, 30 reviews…then I'll GIVE you the names and some movies that they've been in that you may have seen and maybe some links to pictures if I can figure that out, because I KNOW you're dying to put a face with these characters.  Anyway…oh, has anyone heard about those rumors that James Potter may still be alive, or rather his "soul", and that he's stuck in Remus Lupin's body?  That's so wild!!!  Anyway, I think I've talked enough, and now to the writing.

Chapter 4 

            Harry and Hermione stood in the living room, simply holding each other.  Harry was holding on out of shock, he just couldn't believe the fact that the girl he liked was hugging him.  Hermione, who had initiated the hug, was allowing herself to get lost in the feel of Harry's arms wrapped around her, the warmth of his body, but most of all…the feeling she got being in his arms.  It was, for lack of a better word, right.  As if she was never meant to hold any other person in the same way that she was holding Harry because it just wouldn't be the same, it just wouldn't be right; no one else would ever be enough for her for as long as she lived.  

After the shock had somewhat subsided, Harry found himself noticing that Hermione fit perfectly into his arms, and he wished that this moment would never end.  But, as the old proverb states, "All good things must come to an end," they had to pull away from the comfort of each other's arms.  

A voice rose from seemingly nowhere, "Ahem."

Harry and Hermione broke apart rather reluctantly, and faced the handsome, though balding man to hear what he had to say.  "Dinner will be served in 15 minutes," and then with a smirk added, "Thought you ought to know."

Hermione smiled at the sight of her longtime friend and honorary family member, "Thank you, Bill.  Oh, this is my friend Harry Potter.  Harry, this is our family member and butler William Buck, but we always call him Bill."

"It's so nice to meet you…Bill." Harry said as he smiled warmly at the middle-aged man.

"Likewise, young sir," said Bill, "and, if it's alright with you, may I speak to Miss Granger for a minute?"

"You don't need my permission for that!" laughed Harry, "If you'll excuse me, I'll take my luggage to my room and get comfortable."  With that, he grabbed his luggage, and Hedwig, and headed to his room.

"If you don't mind my saying so mademoiselle, he's a keeper. Don't let go of him."

"I wasn't planning to…and how did you know?"

"Have you forgotten already what it was you two were doing when I walked in?" Bill asked raising his eyebrows as Hermione blushed, "My dear, that was no ordinary embrace.  I have known you since you were born, watched you grow up, and I know you like the back of my hand.  I should certainly hope that I know you well enough to recognize when you have fallen head over heels.  And then there's the fact that I, myself, have had my share of relationships, and know love when I see it.  Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go serve dinner, before you come up with another clever idea to detain me and get me killed, or worse, fired!"  And with that, the amiable butler smiled, turned, and walked out the guesthouse to go serve dinner, leaving Hermione with her mouth half open and an amused look on her face to reflect on what he had just said.

After a few moments by herself, thinking, Hermione went to Harry's room.  When she got to her door way, she heard…music.  When she looked inside, she had to try so hard to restrain herself from laughing.  Harry was dancing and singing along to the music, "'Cause, baby, there ain't no mountain high enough.  Ain't no valley low enough.  Ain't no river wide enough, to keep, keep me from YOU!!"  With that last word, Harry turned toward the doorway and saw Hermione leaning against the frame with an amused look upon her face, trying not to laugh, and he blushed furiously.  

"Um…I like this music?"

"Well, it is good… if I were you, I wouldn't do that where someone could walk in on you.  You are so bad at dancing!"

"Hey!  Well…it's not like anybody's ever taught me before…"

Hermione's face softened, "Oh, yeah…" and then brightened, "Well, I guess that's something we need to take care of," she said as she walked toward the radio to change stations and find the right song.  Just as she was about to give up, she heard it.  

"Ok, this is it."  

_Ohh__ ohh...___

She walked over to Harry, put his arms around her waist and said, "It's best to start with slow songs.  They're easier."

_When the visions around you,  
Bring tears to your eyes  
And all that surround you,  
Are secrets and lies  
I'll be your strength,  
I'll give you hope,  
Keeping your faith when it's gone  
The one you should call,  
Was standing here all along..  
  
And I will take  
You in my arms  
And hold you right where you belong  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you  
This I promise you  
  
I've loved you forever,  
In lifetimes before  
And I promise you never...  
Will you hurt anymore  
I give you my word  
I give you my heart (give you my heart)  
This is a battle we've won  
And with this vow,  
Forever has now begun...  
  
Just close your eyes (close your eyes)  
Each loving day (each loving day)  
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you..  
This I promise you..  
  
Over and over I fall (over and over I fall)  
When I hear you call  
Without you in my life baby  
I just wouldn't be living at all...  
  
And I will take (I will take you in my arms)  
You in my arms  
And hold you right where you belong (right where you belong)  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you baby  
  
Just close your eyes  
Each loving day (each loving day)  
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)  
Every word I say is true  
This I promise you  
  
Every word I say is true  
This I promise you  
Ooh, I promise you...  
  
_

At some point in the song, Hermione had moved closer to Harry, and rested her head on his shoulder, savoring this moment together.  And Harry, who was terrified that he'd be terrible, picked up the rhythm quickly.  The two of them slowly rocked together enjoying the warmth and comfort of the other's arms, never wanting to let go.  When the song ended, they looked deeply into each other's eyes as their faces moved towards the other as if drawn by a cosmic force.  Just as their lips were about to touch…the dinner bell rang.

A/N: I know, I know, I'm sooo EVIL!!!  The song used in this chapter was "This I Promise You" by: 'N Sync


	5. The Haircut

Disclaimer: I've said it before and I'll say it again…I DO NOT own any of the original Harry

Potter characters…anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling, and everything else belongs

to moi.  More specifically, I own Bill.  Oh, and this chapter was inspired by a scene in

"Phenomenon" starring John Travolta.

A/N: Only need to reach 30 reviews and then I'll post the new cast list…that is, if you're

interested.  School started again for me, NOOOO!! *Starts sobbing* But…life goes on…well,

my schedule will be getting pretty busy, but if I have the motivation…I'll make time to write and

post more chapters.  And you remember how I get more motivation??  THAT'S RIGHT!!!

REVIEWS!! (Hint...hint)  Well, I'm gonna go before I sound like I'm begging for reviews...hehe,

I forgot…I am.

Chapter 5

The shrill sound of the dinner bell destroyed the mood…

"Ahh," said Hermione, pulling away, "The dinner bell."

Harry muttered a word that made Hermione gasp and say, "Harry!  Come on, let's go eat."

"Fine," said a disgruntled Harry.

(A/N: I'm not including the dinner scene because I'm really bad at conversation that takes place

at tables…so I'm skipping to after dinner, and Harry and Hermione are in the living room of the

guest house.)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry and Hermione were both seated on the couch…on opposite ends.  It was obvious that

things were awkward between the two, seeing as how they were both wracking their brains for

something to talk about in order to break the uncomfortable silence.

Nevertheless, Hermione took a shot at restoring the conversation, "So, Harry, how's Sirius

doing?" 

"Um…let's see, last I heard from him he was fine.  He was busing being an "adorable stray dog"

in order to get food, so he couldn't write much.  He also said that Buckbeak is fine."

"That's good…real good.  I'm so happy that he turned out to be innocent.  I just wish that we

could find some way to prove it."

"We just need Wormtail for that, but how to get him, I don't know."

"Yeah."

It was obvious that they were running out of things to talk about.  So, they just sat for a few

minutes without saying anything.  Hermione was watching Harry fidget, and tapping his knee when

his hair fell into his eyes.  It was then that Hermione suddenly had an idea.  She abruptly got up,

walked to the phone, and dialed a number.

"Yes…Bill?  I was wondering if you don't mind…could you bring over a pair of sharp scissors, a

comb, and some towels?  You will?!  Great!  Thank you so much!"  

After hanging up the phone, Hermione turned to Harry with a somewhat "evil" grin.

"Err…Hermione, what exactly are you planning to do with the scissors?"

"Oh, nothing really…just give you a haircut." Hermione replied matter-of-factly. 

Harry's face went pale as she said that, "No…no…definitely not!"

"Oh, come on, Harry!  Why not?"

"I'll tell you why not!  I happen to like my hair the way it is and I'd rather keep it than to lose it,

Thank you very much!"

"You won't lose it!  Relax, Harry, you trust me!  I've done this millions of time!  I'm practically a

professional, if not better!" argued Hermione, but then she thought to herself, You never need to

know that it was just my doll's hair that I cut…

Harry looked torn with the decision of risking losing his hair…or his friendship with Hermione. 

Finally…

"Fine…I'll let you cut it!  Just…be careful."

Hermione squealed.

"But you had better be telling the truth!"

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door and Bill entered the room carrying the item that

Hermione had requested.

"You rang, mademoiselle?" Bill asked with an amused tone of voice.

"Oh, shut up, Bill!  But, yes, I did and I appreciate your help so much!"

"Very well, then," Bill said, walking toward Hermione and handing her the towel, comb, and

scissors.  

"Well, thank you ever so much!" Hermione returned.

Harry just watched their friendly banter slightly amused, but highly apprehensive due to his

unexpected haircut.  Bill casually glanced over to Harry and noticed the uneasy look on Harry's

face.

"You alright there, Harry?" he asked.

Harry managed to say, "Yeah," in a squeaky voice.

Bill was a little confused before he remembered the items that he had brought to Hermione,

looked at Harry's hair, and put two and two together.

"Ha ha, I can't believe I've finally become Hermione's partner in crime," Bill laughed.  "I honestly

never would have thought she'd do something like this!"

Harry gulped.  

"Oh, come off it, Bill!  I'm only giving Harry a haircut!"

Bill smiled, "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I remember nothing!" and with that he turned and left the

room chuckling softly.

Hermione stood shaking her head, watching him leave the room, "I will never for the life of me

understand that man…"

"Err…yeah, I guess he's…different."

"Alright…let's grab that chair and move it to the bathroom sink."

Harry groaned.

"Come on, Harry.  I'm telling you, don't worry.  When I'm done with you, you'll look hotter than

Prince William!"

Harry whimpered and picked up the chair, following Hermione to the bathroom.  He placed the

chair in front of the sink and sat down.  Hermione set the scissors and comb on the counter,

unfolded the towel and gently placed it around Harry's neck.  Harry was so tense; his muscles

were practically in knots.

"Harry…relax and just trust me," she said softly, looking deep into Harry's emerald eyes.

As Harry looked into Hermione's eyes, he felt himself let go of his fears and he visibly relaxed.

"That's better."

Hermione reached behind Harry, turning on the faucet, and getting it to the right temperature

before she leaned Harry's head back into the sink.  She wet her hands and gently ran them

through Harry's hair, dampening it.

Harry started talking, "I just realized that my hair never grows when I'm at Hogwarts.  Wonder

why that is…"

"Honestly, Harry, are you ever going to read Hogwarts: A History?"

"Well, why would I?  You've already memorized the whole thing."

"Well, to answer your question, a charm was placed on the school grounds so that hair wouldn't

grow unless a person wanted it to because the teachers were finding it difficult to get students

haircuts.  So, they simply cast it to avoid such difficulties, not to mention allowing more time for

studying magic."

"Huh…makes sense.  Do you th-"

Hermione cut him off, "Harry?"

"Hmm…?"

"Shut up."

Harry smiled, "Okay."

Hermione had finally gotten Harry's hair wet enough to cut accurately.  She turned off the water,

and reached for the comb and scissors.

"Okay, you can sit up now."

Harry straightened up and looked at Hermione who had a very focused look on her face.  It was

eerily similar to the way she observed her homework at school before she began a particularly

difficult arithmancy problem.  

"God, she looks so beautiful…I really want to kiss her.  Whoa…kiss her?  She's my best

friend!  Exactly…she's my best friend…she understands me like no other girl ever has. 

She's…different."

Harry found himself getting lost in the deep color of Hermione's eyes and the feel of her delicate

hands running through his hair.

Hermione found herself thinking about Harry as well.

"Wow…his hair feels really good.  Not too soft, but not too coarse, just…perfect.  I love his

hair, as messy as it can be.  It just suits him so well.  And his eyes…it's so easy to just get

lost in them."

As Hermione continued cutting Harry's hair, a feeling of contentment increased between the two. 

A deep connection had been formed, the beginning of something much deeper…the beginning of

love.

As the two continued staring at each other, Hermione had slowly stopped cutting his hair,

forgetting what she was supposed to be doing, but kept her hands running through his hair. 

Slowly, as they inched closer and closer to each other, she let her hands slide to the back of his

neck.  Just as they were about to kiss…a faint "Tap…tap…tap," came from the other room…

A/N:  Hehe, in case you can't tell, I really like doing this "evil cliffie" thing!  It's loads of fun!  I'm

really sorry I took so long to update.  I tried to make it up by making this chapter a little bit

longer!  And don't worry, you'll like my next chapter which is titled "Crash and Burn."  Until then,

remember this.  MORE REVIEWS =MORE MOTIVATION=FASTER UPDATE!

Special thanks section:

First off, 10 billion thanks to Snoopy511 and Miztiy!  You guys rock, and everyone else check

out their stories…err, on second thought, don't.  They make me look bad! *grins*

**MaRiAn the LiBrArIaN** – Well, thanks, I'm always glad to hear that!

**Uglinessrox55**- You know something, it's very ironic that I'm this evil, seeing as how my dad's a

pastor.  Hehe, well, thanks a bunch for reviewing!

**Hoarse Swan**- Thanks for reviewing (and for saying that my story's cute!)  Don't worry, I'm

continuing soon!

**Wildgoldowl**- Yeah, I like them falling asleep too!  I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're

reading this!

**Lil' Hermione**-  Hehe, it's a little weird putting you on here like this, seeing as how I talked to

you earlier.  But thanks for reading anyway!

**Lamina Court**- Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  (Err,

is that enough yet?)  And I'm trying to make them longer, they just seem to end by themselves,

haha!

**Sk8er girl**- Ahh, please don't yell!  I'm very sensitive, when people yell at me, I start crying!  It's

true!  Thanks for reviewing!

**Coconut-ice agent h/h**- Not to offend anyone out there, but I prefer H/H as opposed to R/H

too!  H/H always!! Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot to me!

**Smirking Princess**- The continuation, mademoiselle…and thanks for reviewing! *Smiles a huge

grin!*

**Friendly-mione**- Thank you so much!  You'll always be my first reviewer!  Quite an honor, eh?

Whew, that was exhausting!  But don't worry it was worth it to thank the people who read my

stories.  YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY!  If I forgot someone, send me a howler (via e-mail) and

I'll thank you in my next chapter!   Remember… MORE REVIEWS =MORE

MOTIVATION=FASTER UPDATE!


	6. The Past

Disclaimer: Ok, seriously…how many people out there still don't know that J.K. Rowling owns all of the original Harry Potter characters?  The only things that I own are Bill, the plot (as far as I know), and anything else you don't recognize.  The song is "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden.

A/N: All right…I just want to answer some things that were brought to my attention…About the hair thing, I know that Harry's hair could grow back overnight, so Harry wouldn't be worried about it, I just figured that my chapter might be slightly more interesting if I made Harry nervous about it.  But thank you for catching that anyway!  Also…about my mean cliffhangers, and never letting them kiss…I do have a reason for it, so DON'T WORRY!  They do kiss!  After all, it is a romance fic!  I guess I have so many because I watch TV a lot, and I've become used being left hanging, and so as a result, I leave y'all hanging!  Not to mention, I like to build…and maybe there's the fact that I'm afraid that if I do let them kiss…you'll leave me!!  But enough of this…onto the story!

Chapter 6 

Just as their lips were about to touch…

"Tap…tap…tap."

Hermione moved her head away, slightly hitting it on Harry's shoulders.

A very put-out Harry said, "I'm so going to kill whoever is sending this owl…"

"Not if I beat you to it.  Come on, let's go get the letter," said Hermione heading toward the other room.

"Yeah…and find out who the victim of our wrath will be," Harry replied following Hermione's lead.

"Tsk…tsk…tsk…the great Harry has a dark side…"

"Doesn't everyone?" laughed Harry.

"I guess so."

When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned it's back on you  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold  
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore

Hermione had reached the window, and removed the owl's burden.  The owl flew off quickly, and Hermione opened the letter.  She read it to herself, but upon reading it sat down on the floor from disbelief and pain.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

She couldn't get the words forming in her brain to come out, so she simply handed Harry the letter.

Harry read, 

_Dear Hermione,_

_            Look, ever since the trip, I can't stop thinking about you, or how I treated you.  I really didn't mean what I did…well, I guess I did at the time, but I was a jerk then.  And I swear I've changed!  Honest!  Well, I'm writing to see if you'll give me another chance…so, will you?  Please write soon…_

_With love,_

_Viktor Krum._

"What did he do to you?!?!" 

Hermione couldn't answer, much less look at Harry.  But Harry knew the answer already…Krum broke her heart. 

"Oh, Herm, I'm so sorry."  Harry said immediately sitting down next to her to take her into his arms.  Hermione let Harry wrap his arms around her and pull her head down into his lap to comfort her.  As Hermione continued sobbing, Harry just kept saying words of reassurance to soothe Hermione from her pain.

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone

As Hermione wept softly in Harry's arms, a knock sounded at the door, and voice called out, "Hermione?  Are you in there?"  When neither Harry nor Hermione answered, Mrs. Granger opened the door softly and looked in on the two.  When she saw Hermione crying, she opened her mouth to say something, but Harry quickly shook his head, "No." to warn her not to.  Although she was still concerned about Hermione, she smiled softly and thought, "She'll be okay…he'll take good care of her."  And with that thought, she quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

A few minutes later, Hermione's sobs had somewhat calmed down.  

Harry softly said, "What did he do to you, Hermione?"

Hermione took a deep breath and through her tears, she said, "Remember how Krum invited me to go to Bulgaria with him?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I went…and it was fun…the first couple of days.  And then…I don't know…he just changed.  He started trying feel me up…he would kiss me, but he wouldn't stop there…I told him to stop, but…he never would.  And then, I'd pull away from him, and he'd get angry.  At first, he'd just yell at me…"

When you feel all alone  
And a loyal friend is hard to find  
You're caught in a one way street  
With the monsters in your head  
When hopes and dreams are far away and  
You feel like you can't face the day

As Hermione was talking, Harry felt tears coming into his eyes.  "How could Krum treat her like this?  Can't he see how sensitive she is?  How there's so much more to her than her body?  She's the best person I know and she doesn't deserve to be treated like that!"  Harry thought that him trying to feel her up was bad, but her next words shocked Harry beyond reason.

"…But then, just before I was going home, he tried one last time.  And said no…it's like…he just lost it.  He told me that I could forget about ever seeing him again, and then…he hit me…" After Hermione got this out, she fell silent again.

Harry looked into Hermione's eyes, full of grief and pain, but this time he looked past the chocolate-colored coating, deeper and deeper until he felt like he had reached her soul.  Hermione returned this stare just as intensely through her tears.  Unconsciously, the two moved towards each other.  When their lips were about an inch apart, Hermione stopped herself and pulled away.

"I can't do this…I'm sorry, Harry."

"Shhhh, it's okay.  I'm not going to pressure you into anything."

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone

"Listen to me Hermione…what Krum did…that was him…not you.  You did nothing to deserve that.  Krum was, is…a jerk.  And he probably always will be.  He does not deserve a woman like you.  He proved that when he treated you like you didn't matter…like you were just there to service him and his needs.  That was, is and will never be true.  You deserve to be treated like a princess…"

Hermione looked into his eyes as she listened to him and she could tell that he meant every word.  Softly, she said, "Thanks, Harry…"

Harry just smiled sweetly at her and pulled her into the most meaningful hug of their lives thus far.

Because there has always been heartache and pain  
And when it's over you'll breathe again  
You'll breath again

Later on, Hermione had fallen asleep on the floor with her head resting on Harry's lap.  Harry was softly stroking her hair when he had an idea to make Hermione feel better.  He gently picked Hermione up into his arms and carried her to the bed.  Then he left the room to go talk to Mrs. Granger. 

Harry walked into the living room of the main house where he found Mrs. Granger sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Err, Mrs. Granger…?"

"Harry…where's Hermione?"

"She fell asleep…"

"Ahh, I see.  Is she okay?"

"Honestly…no.  But I have an idea that might make her feel better…"

***A/N: HAHAHAHA….cliffie!!!!***

***A/N:  Oh, all right…I'll have some pity on you…***

***Keep going…***

***Ok, fine!  Enough already!***

Mrs. Granger smiled, "That sounds like a good idea, Harry.  You have my permission."

"Thanks, Mrs. Granger!  You won't regret this!"

~*~*~*~

Dear Hagrid, 

I need a favor…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Sorry…but you'll find out soon enough!)

Dear Harry, 

            Okay, it's all set up!  It didn't take too long thanks to my trusty umbrella…*winks* Send Herm my love, won't 'cha?  

Love, 

Hagrid

Harry smiled to himself and walked toward Hermione's bedroom.

Hermione was still peacefully sleeping on her bed when Harry entered the room.  He walked over to the side of her bed.  He watched her quietly for a few minutes before waking her up gently…

"Herm…Herm…wake up…"

Hermione stirred from her sleep… "Mmm…Harry?"

"I'm here, Herm."

When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please  
To tame your wild, wild heart

"Good…" she said, sitting up to pull him into a hug.

Harry returned the hug, smiling… "This feels so right.  After tonight, I'll never have any doubts about whether or not I'm in love with her.  Whoa…did I just think that?  Yeah…I did."  Harry held on to her even tighter, as if he was scared to death that he'd lose her.

A few minutes later, Harry finally broke the hug, "Hermione…I have someplace I'd like to take you…"

"Okay," Hermione softly whispered.

Harry led her outside where he had placed his Firebolt.  Hermione froze at the sight of it.

"Harry, no!"

Harry turned and looked into her eyes, "Herm…trust me?"

Hermione couldn't help smiling, but she let herself give in to him, "Okay, just…don't let anything happen to me, okay?"

"Hermione, I will never let anything happen to you…" he smiled and carefully pulled Hermione onto the broom with him.  He rose slowly into the starry night sky…

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone

~~~~~~~~

A/N: I know, I know, I know!!  ***Dodges angry, evil looks*** I know I told you that I'd have them kiss in this chapter!  Please forgive me!  But I had THE most brilliant idea!  And it just didn't fit into this chapter.  I'm sorry.  But please trust me with this… I can give you a 95% guarantee that you'll understand when you read the next chapter!  Okay????  I'll update as soon as I can!  Thank you for reading!  And remember…MORE REVIEWS=MORE MOTIVATION=FASTER UPDATE!!!!


	7. The Secret Hideaway

Disclaimer:  I do NOT own any of the original Harry Potter characters!  J.K. Rowling does due to her supreme creativity!  The only things I own are Bill (the butler), the plot, and anything else you don't recognize.  The song used in this chapter is "Fall Into Me" performed by Emerson Drive (whose lead singer, by the way, is totally HOT!)

A/N:  All right…I'm taking pity on each and every one of you because I have been a very mean author with all these cliffies, and so I'm writing this chapter a little faster than normal.  Please bear with me though, I'm updating as fast as I possibly can.  Oh yeah, and now I can't be online past 9:00 because my parents are worried about "how much time I spend online…" so now the time I normally spend online is cut into half.  I guess this means…*gulps* priorities.  Of course…the more people who read this story…the more I know how much this means to them…and how imperative it is that I don't keep y'all waiting…*hint, hint* Well, enough babble…here's what y'all have been so "patiently" (yeah…right!) waiting for!  LUCKY CHAPTER NUMBER 7!

And I just want to say thanks so much to PMGreyStreet who took time out of his busy schedule to beta for me!!! THANKS SO MUCH!!  Also thanks to my normal beta-readers Snoopy511 and Miztiy…I still don't know what I'd do without your bugging me to hurry up and write, lol!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ending of Chapter 6: 

"Hermione, I will never let anything happen to you…" he smiled and carefully pulled Hermione onto the broom with him.  He rose slowly into the starry night sky…

**Chapter 7**

****

**The Beginning**

_***_

_Right here waiting, staying strong  
Come and Fall into me_

***

Harry and Hermione were on Harry's Firebolt, making their way to his mysterious "secret spot."  Hermione was holding on to the handle of the broomstick while Harry was showing her how to steer and holding on to her waist. _"God, I hope Hermione likes this…I didn't have too long to put this all together.  I still can't believe that idiot!  How could he treat Hermione like this…my Hermione like this.  I'm lucky that it's so beautiful out here tonight…no clouds, no rain, perfect temperature…and the stars are so bright tonight!" _Harry smiled to himself, _"What am I talking about?  It's perfect…I don't think I could plan this better than if I had a million years.  What would I do without that Marauder's Map?  If I hadn't discovered this place 'cause of it…I don't know how I could have made Hermione feel better.  Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry for what he did to you," _Harry pulled her closer to him and held her tighter.

_***_

_You say you've turned it off  
Hid your heart upon a shelf  
Scared of what it might cost  
To take it down for someone else_

_***_

Hermione felt Harry's arms grip her tighter and bringing her closer to Harry's warm body, _"Harry is so good to me…almost too good…I've never done anything to deserve him in my life.  He's been through more pain than most people see in a lifetime…yet here he is, comforting me.  Shouldn't it be the other way around? I'm so selfish!  How can I be thinking about myself when Harry's been through so much!" _  As Harry continued holding on to Hermione, another feeling…stronger than her guilt…began to take hold of Hermione's heart and soul.  _"I can't remember the last time I've felt so safe…this is so weird!  I'm flying hundreds of feet above the ground and on a broomstick no less!  But Harry said to trust him, so I let go.  But it's still so strange…why don't I feel at least a little bit scared of falling?  What does this all mean?  Oh, I'm so confused!  I promised myself I wouldn't fall for anyone else!  Oh, Harry, why did you have to be so…wonderful?"_

_***_

_Cause loving him you lost_

_Too much of yourself_

_Baby can't you see...that he's not me_

_And..._

_***_

Harry's breath was starting to get caught in his throat, _"We're almost there!  I really hope this works, I hate seeing Hermione upset like this.  Ugh, Krum, you prat!  Why'd you have to go and treat her like this?!  She never did anything to you!  I only hope that she'll be able to get over this, and allow herself to love again…to be able to love me.  Just you wait, Hermione, I'll get you to see that you can always trust me…I'll never hurt you, not if I can help it."_

_***_

_I need you to know you can fall into me   
That my arms are wide open and will always be  
Right here waiting, Staying strong  
Come and fall into me_

***

As they neared their destination, Hermione had let herself revel in the feel of Harry's strong arm around her, keeping her from falling and to certain death.  _"His arm around me feels so right…so perfect.  Where is he taking me anyway?  We've been flying for a while now…"_

And then, in the still far off distance…Hermione could see the unmistakable form of…Hogwarts castle.

_"Hogwarts?"_ Hermione asked herself, confused, _"Why is he taking me here…of all places?  The way he was going about this, I thought he had at least put some effort into thinking about where we were going to go."  _Although Hermione didn't make it obvious, she was disappointed, and Harry noticed.

_"Haha, it's working perfectly.  She's disappointed.  She'll be completely shocked when we get there."_

_*    *    *_

When the duo neared Hogwarts, Harry didn't head towards the castle like Hermione assumed, but rather to the…lake.  He flew over the lake, toward the bank farthest from the castle.  Hermione could see a dim glow coming from a small area.  As they neared closer and closer, Hermione could make out a blanket laid across the grass and floating candles nearby.  Harry slowed the broom down considerably as he neared the bank.  When they were directly above the blanket, he set down carefully, not wanting to startle Hermione.

"Harry…what is this place?" Hermione asked in awe.

"This," Harry replied, "is my secret place.  I found it in my second year…when I just needed to get away from everyone, and be by myself.  Hagrid is the only one besides me who knows about it, in fact, he's the one who showed it to me."  

**Flashback**

12 year-old Harry was sitting in Hagrid's hut, telling him about his problems.

"Everyone thinks that I'm the Heir of Slytherin…sometimes I wish that I could just get away from it all."

Hagrid looked thoughtful for a second and then said, "I can 'elp you there, 'Arry.  'ome on, follow me."

The half-giant stood up, with Harry following, and led him to the place that had become Harry's secret retreat for the past 3 years.

"'Ell, 'Arry…this is it, and ain't no one but me 'hat knows 'bout it."

"Wow…this is great Hagrid!  I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say 'nything…just let it become an important part of you…like it was 'o me when I was 'our age…"

"Don't worry, Hagrid….it will be."

**End Flashback*

"_Of course, back then I didn't realize just how important it would be…"_ Harry thought looking fondly towards Hermione.

"Harry…how come you never told Ron and me about this place?" Hermione asked.

"Er…I guess mostly because I just wanted to keep it to myself…no offense."

"Oh…well, then why are you showing it to me now?"

At this question, Harry blushed furiously.  "Well…because…since I came to stay with you…something about you and me changed…and well, tonight I finally realized something…"

******

_I'll follow any road   
Anywhere to get to you  
I'll open up my soul  
If that's what you need me to do_

******

As Hermione listened to Harry, she was looking around this gorgeous place he'd shown her.  As Harry fell silent, she turned to look at him.  As her eyes fell upon his face, she felt that familiar flutter in her stomach, that feeling that made her go weak in the knees, and that sense of completion she felt just being with him.  Hermione struggled to get her voice back, "What did you realize?" she finally managed to whisper.

"That…I'm only whole when I'm with you…" he said nervously…awaiting her reaction.

Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes as she gazed back into Harry's deep emerald eyes…lost for words.

As Harry saw her tears he continued, "I know that Krum broke your heart…he tried to move too fast…but Hermione…I'll wait for you…until you're ready.  I'll wait forever if you ask me to…because all I want is for you to be happy.  All you have to do…is tell me when."

******

_But now baby it's your move  
All you've got to do  
Is believe in love, just believe in us  
Now..._

******

Hermione couldn't bring herself to say anything…much less move toward Harry.  So, Harry did it for her.  As he finished saying what he needed to, he moved toward her and held her firmly but gently as if proving his love for her.  She finally managed to bring her arms up and hold Harry tightly around his neck, tears falling through her eyes.  They held each other for what seemed like an eternity before Hermione finally gathered enough strength to whisper one simple word that would forever the relationship between the two…

******

_I need you to know you can fall into me   
That my arms are wide open and will always be  
Right here waiting, Staying strong  
Come and fall into me_

******

"When."

Harry pulled out of the hug and looked at Hermione with joy in his eyes.  He searched hers and found exactly what he needed to verify that Hermione was truly ready…

******

_Just believe in love, just believe in us   
Baby...._

******

He smiled out of pure joy and love and leaned forward.  As their lips met in a gentle and passionate kiss…every good feeling in the world just seemed to soar between them.  Hermione returned the kiss just as passionately as Harry and brought her hands up behind Harry's head, her fingers running through his unruly raven hair.  Harry kept one hand on her waist, but brought the other one up to gently caress her cheek as they kissed.  They were both surprised (to some extent) to feel how their lips seemed to fit perfectly…as if they were never meant to kiss another.  And from that moment on…they knew…they knew that they would spend the rest of their life together…no matter what happened.  They would get through it and their relationship would be able to withstand anything…and everything.

******

_I need you to know you can fall into me   
That my arms are wide open and will always be  
Right here waiting, Staying strong  
Come and fall into me _

******

After they had kissed for what seemed to be forever, Harry and Hermione flew back home…to take care of one…last…thing.

Harry watched as Hermione took the letter Krum had sent her and walked towards the fireplace.  The flames danced in her eyes as she took the letter and threw it into the fire, symbolizing the Krum was to mean nothing more to her from this moment on, that she would forget about him for the rest of her life.  After the letter had ceased to be anything more than ashes scattered around her fireplace, she turned to Harry…and smiled.  

******

_Come and fall into me  
Baby, fall into me_

******

He returned her smile along with a look of love and compassion in his eyes…he slowly moved to Hermione again…took her in his arms…and kissed her as if he would never get the chance again.

The two of them were so caught up in each other that they both failed to notice a young red-haired man staring at them from the doorway…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Okay, I know…it took me forever to post!  I'm sorry, but a heck of a lotta stuff happened to me so I either couldn't work on it or wasn't up to it.  I hope you like this chapter, it's what you were waiting for!  Don't worry, this is nowhere near the ending of this fic!  I've grown to be very partial to it!  I hope you were satisfied with this chapter, I worked very hard to finish it tonight!  Well, I'll try my hardest to get chapter 8 up soon!

~Jen

**Thanks to:**

**PotterGal- **hope I didn't keep you in suspense forever! J

**Fangboy-** too lazy, huh?  Haha, I know the feeling, thanks for reading my fic, and taking the time to review!

**Coconut-ice_agent_h/h- **Thanks, thanks, and thanks!  For each of your three people!  I'm glad you like the story so much.  Hehe, I know I'm not fair, but hey…who said life is fair?  Hope this chapter met your expectations!  I'll ttyl!

**Snoopy511- **Haha, thanks for reviewing!  Not to mention actually talking to me online!  I love meeting people online, it's so….refreshing!  Haha, well, I'll ttyl!

**Sarah-** thank you so much!  I'm glad you think that this story is good!  Hope you liked this chapter!

**Godric Gryffindor-**  Are you still alive??  Well, I certainly hope so!  Wouldn't want you to miss this chapter!  Thanks for reviewing and enjoy!

**Uglinessrox55- **Thank you for being so faithful to me!   I always love seeing your reviews!  Hope you like this chapter!  And thanks for the motivation!

**Athena73-** Ask and ye shall receive! J  Hope you enjoyed the kiss!

**M4X- **Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter!   And please…put the knife down…?

**Lady Sunlight-** All right, I updated!  Twice!  Haha, hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed writing them!  I finally let them kiss!  And thanks for putting me on your faves list, I feel so honored and special!

**DB17-** Yeah, I know…I am a bit cruel, hopefully I made it up?

**Sirius Black-** Thanks for pointing out the whole hair thing, hope I answered your question sufficiently.  Thanks for writing, and aren't you glad I didn't include a disturbance this time?!

**Lamina Court-** Hey!  Thanks for reviewing…yet again!  Haha, you can always go on and on and on and on with me!  I'll ttyl!

**Crinos-X- **Yes, this certainly helped with the motivation!  I'm so happy you like my story!  *grins from ear to ear*

**Harrypotterfreak-** Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok…I updated!  Hope you liked it and thanks for reviewing!

**Lil' Hermione- **Thanks!  Here's Chapter 7!  And I'm so glad to see that your stories are so successful!

**Tiny dancer- **Yeah…I liked the cliffie idea…I almost used it again for this chapter, but I decided I didn't want to destroy the mood.  Thanks for reviewing and it was my pleasure to review for your story!

**Midnite star watcher- **I know, I hated making Krum so mean…but I felt like it was necessary to get where I wanted to go!  Well, here's the update, and you finally got to see where Harry takes her!

**Leah-** I hope you're not upset and that you liked this chapter!  Thanks so much for reviewing!

**Sparkles-** And last but not least…thanks for reviewing.   I know I need to make my chapters longer…but it's so hard!!  Anyway, just for you I reached a new high!  1, 690 words (Not including my author's note or thanks!)  I know it's still not that long…but I'm getting there, I hope!  I'll ttyl!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO TAKES THE TIME TO READ THIS STORY!!!!!

And remember…MORE REVIEWS = MORE MOTIVATION = FASTER POSTING!!!!__


	8. The Argument

Chapter 8__

The young red-haired man was standing in the doorway, watching in shock.  A million thoughts running through his mind.  "_What are they doing?  How dare Harry do that to Hermione…to my Hermione!  Doesn't he know that I like her?"_

As they finally broke apart, their minds still lost in their own world, Harry had the weirdest feeling that he was being watched.  When Hermione finally managed to tear her eyes away from Harry, she saw a flash of red hair and gasped.

"Ron!"

Harry instantly turned to face Ron, fear his primary emotion.  He might not be afraid of Voldemort, but he was terrified of losing his friendship with Ron, of having him think that he betrayed his trust.  And then there was the small detail of Ron's temper.  Slowly, Harry gathered the strength to look into Ron's eyes…

"Hey Ron…" he said meekly, "long time, no see…"

Hermione interrupted Harry, "What are you doing here?  I mean…I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow morning…"

Ron replied, his anger getting the best of him, "It is 'tomorrow morning,' 8 o'clock…remember?  Or have you forgotten about everything important…including me and how I might feel about…about…this!  Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Ron…I swear to you…this is only the second time that we've kissed."

"Oh, really?  When was the first?"

"A few hours ago…"

"Oh, I see…so you two have been together all night?"

Harry's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets at what Ron was implying, but before he could say anything, Hermione cut in.

"Jeez!  Not like that!  Get your head out of the gutter, Ron!  Why would you even _think_ that?  Harry and I are only 15 for crying out loud!  I'm _going_ to wait until I get married!  In fact, it's very important to me that I do!  And besides…it's none of your business!

"None of my business?  Ok…I see, it's none of my business that my _friends_ decided to go and make out with each other without so much as telling me!

"Jeez Ron," Harry shouted, "you're carrying on as though Hermione and I have been doing this behind your back for months!  Nothing…happened…until…yesterday.  And this _is_ the first time we have seen you since it began.  We were going to tell you…we certainly didn't want you to find out that way!"

"Oh, sure…I'm supposed to just believe that 'you were going to tell me'…you know that's not true."

"Yes…Ron…you're supposed to believe it…because it's the truth…and because I'm your best friend."

"You mean ex-best friend!"  he retorted back before turning and leaving the room.

He was outside the guest room in the garden pacing around with a million thoughts running through his head.  _"Ugh!  How could they do that?  They're my best friends for crying out loud!!!" _ Ron looked like he was seriously about to lose it…when a voice arose.

"Ahem.  Mister Weasley…"

"What???" Ron snapped turning around.

"I was just going to perhaps suggest that you take a look into the living room of the guest house.  You might see something of particular interest to you…"

With a sigh, Ron heeded the mysterious man's request, and looked into the window.  What he saw instantly calmed him down…

Harry seemed to be on the verge of tears so Hermione quickly moved up to him and placed her hand comfortingly on his cheek before reaching both arms over and hugging him.  Ron just stood looking at them in awe.  He started to realize that they really were in love with each other, even if they didn't know it yet, and that it would be wrong to stay angry and try and break them up.  They truly belonged to each other.

"Oh, my Gosh…they really do love each other.  I may love Hermione to death…but Harry is in love with her…" Ron thought, as things were slowly becoming clearer to him.  "There's a big difference between loving someone and being in love with someone."  At that moment, Ron knew that he had misunderstood his feelings for Hermione.  It was true…he did love her…but as a sister.  That would forever be their relationship with each other and he was okay with that.  Ron suddenly smiled at the fact that he managed to sort his feelings out on his own!  Taking a deep breath…he entered the living room...however, he couldn't get the damn smile off of his face!

"What are you smiling about?" Harry asked with a confused look on his face.

"Nothing really…just the fact that I actually came to terms with something on my own!"

"What are you talking about?" said Hermione, equally confused.

"I'm sorry, Harry.  I really didn't mean what I said."

"Huh?" Harry replied with an incredulous look on his face.

"You are my best friend…It's just…when I saw you and Hermione together…it kinda threw me a bit."

"I'm sorry.  I didn't quite catch that," Harry said with a smirk on his face, "Did Ronald Weasley just admit to being wrong?"

"Shut up, Harry.  I'm not that bad."

"Actually," Hermione interrupted, "you are…sometimes."

Now…that got Ron back.  His face started getting red at the implication that he really was that bad.  "What?  No way!" 

Harry laughed, "Yes way!  Do I really need to remind you about last year?  You didn't talk to me for months!  And for what?  Because I didn't notice that the leprechaun gold you gave me disappeared."

"Well…okay.  So that was a bit dumb.  But I did eventually come to my senses, you gotta give me that much…at least."

"Alright.  So…truce then?" Harry asked, holding out his hand.

"Truce," replied Ron, the ever famous grin on his face as he reached for Harry's hand as well.  "Ahh…what the heck!" he said, pulling Harry into a brotherly hug.  Suddenly, a thought popped into his head, "It's great to see you, Harry!  It's been weeks!"

"Yeah, it has been, hasn't it?  Darn summers."

Hermione squealed, "The trio is back!  And better than ever!" pulling Ron and Harry into a group hug.

"Ahh…ahh…Hermione…you're squeezing a little too tight…" 

"Oh, sorry Ron!"  Hermione said letting them go.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a voice arose.  "Ahem…"

"Jeez! Bill…you scared me!"

"Hehe, cool."

Hermione shot Bill a death glare, which Harry noticed, and said, "Whoa…remind me not to get on your bad side."  At which point, Hermione switched her glare from Bill to Harry.  Harry ducked behind Ron, "Quick Ron, save me!!!  It's the wrath of Hermione!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Harry's antics.  Soon, the whole gang was laughing until Hermione finally remembered that Bill probably came to tell them something.  Taking a deep breath she asked, "Did you want to tell us something, Bill?"

Although Bill heard her, he just kept laughing for a while longer, struggling to stop and take a breath.  He was laughing so hard that tears were starting to form in his eyes.  Finally, he managed to compose himself, (which is more than I can say for Ron and Harry!)  "Ahh…"

But before he could continue, Ron interrupted, "You!"

Bill smiled and replied, "Yes, mister Weasley…me.  What I came in to say was that you received some letters in the post today…all three of you if I'm not much mistaken.  From your school, I believe."

"It's our book list!!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Oh, good lord…she's ba-ack!"  Ron joked.

Hermione shot Ron another one of her, now infamous, glares as she walked over to Bill to get the letters.  As she took the letters from his hand, she suddenly hugged him.  

"Whoa…whoa…there…what brings this on?"  Bill asked, returning her hug.

"Nothing really, I'm just so happy!  I'm gonna miss you this year though."

"Haha, well, we'll see about that," Bill said, with a somewhat cryptic look on his face, "Now open those letters and get to shopping!"  At that, he gave Hermione one last hug, looked at the boys, and left the room.

Hermione stared at the retreating form of her butler as he walked out of the room and said silently, "I've said it before and I'll say it again…I will never…for the life of me…understand that man."

"Um…Hermione?  I'd like my letter please…?"  Harry said.

"Oh," replied Hermione, "right!"  She instantly turned around and handed Harry and Ron their letters.  All three of them opened them and read the contents.

After reading the list, Harry said, (with a smirk on his face) "Well…guess this means we should get going to Diagon Alley!"

Hermione and Ron only smiled back.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

A/N: Well…that's it for now!  I'm really, really sorry it's taken me this long to post!  I honestly hadn't realized that it had been so long!  I swear…time went by really fast!  My school is kicking up on the assignments so now I have to work like twice as hard…bummer.  Also…I'm afraid I have some bad news…I have to turn my laptop back in this week (it's school-issued) and my computer at home has officially stopped working.  So, I'm not sure when I can post again because I don't know when my parents are going to get a new computer!!  Waah!  But I promise I'll continue working on it in the meantime!  This story will NOT be abandoned!!  I'll die before that happens!  And where there's a will…there's a way!!  I promise that as soon as it's possible I will post!  Please be patient with me!!  Please review!!  I may have access once a week or so to a computer (in my dad's office) I will be checking my e-mail (and hopefully posting from there!) and I always love getting feedback on my stories!  MORE REVIEWS=More MOTIVATION=FASTER POSTING!


	9. Important Author's Note!

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!  
  
This is just an official notification that the story "Best of Friends" is over. *Sheepish look* I forgot to mention that in the last chapter..but don't despair! (Lol, like anyone would.) The first chapter of the sequel, "Troubled Times", is posted and the second is well on its way. There are a few changes though; Harry, Hermione, and Ron are now in 7th year and many other things that you just have to read to find out about! New romances, new characters, and new evil prevails! Whoo-hoo! *Ahem* Anyway, I hope that you will keep up with my story and that you truly enjoy it! Have fun!!  
  
~JEN 


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